Of note in October: The 2023 Buffalo Antique Collection dropped, and we tasted our way through it. Keep scrolling to see where each of this year’s BTAC expressions fall among our other favorite whiskeys of the month. 11. Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate Featuring familiar scents of brown sugar and stewed apple, the introduction of amaretto is quite striking. Combined with a fusion of cognac and rum scents, it produces an aroma that is unique for the brand. It’s incredibly effective and starts the sip in a praiseworthy spot. The amaretto continues into the palate creating a sweet and nutty impact. This nuttiness is further accentuated with hazelnut, before transitioning to rich plum, vanilla, and classic Stagg heavy sweet oak. This layering makes the sip much more dynamic this year, where often Stagg can come across as very homogeneous in its flavor profile. The finish in turn starts off with a straightforward leather note, before transitioning to pomegranate molasses. There’s also a minor musty tannic note that is fleeting and unlikely to be problematic for the majority of drinkers. This year's release retains its classic heaviness that Stagg known for, but this slight introduction of fruity notes throughout is extremely welcome.

George T. Stagg - Buffalo Trace Distillery George T. Stagg - Buffalo Trace Distillery

Food critic Morgan Murphy once wrote "If you want your guests' eyes to pop out of their heads in a fit of bourbon ecstasy, this is your bourbon." [4] Releases [ edit ] Year/Information Join the Whiskey Raiders Bottle of the Month Club, where you will receive hard-to-find bottles curated by Whiskey Raiders staff with a 90+ rating on whiskeyraiders.com plus live virtual tastings. Sign up here! The last two releases of George T. Stagg came in at very similar ages, with 2020’s release sporting a 15 year, 4 month age and the 2022 release sporting a 15 year, 5 month age. While 2021 sadly saw no release for the brand, this year's release continues the trend by coming in at 15 years and 3 months. This has proven to be a sweet spot in regards to an age target for the brand. Falling in the middle between these past two releases proof-wise, all the ingredients line up for a repeat showing of those two great releases.

With baking spice aromas and plenty of pepper interlaced with orange peel, Wild Turkey’s 101-proof 8-year-old whiskey does not disappoint. This is an easy-drinking whiskey that possesses comforting flavors of rye bread and ginger. The nose of this spicy yet nuanced rye has plenty of jam, maple, tobacco char and pepper. On the palate, expect cherry cola, ash, honey, pepper and toffee. With an impressively long finish, this rye is oaky without bitterness, complete with toffee and more cherry cola. In so many words, it’s a fun rye that’s easy to enjoy, which West describes as “cool stuff.” George T. Stagg is a limited-production bourbon whiskey distributed by Buffalo Trace Distillery, as part of the distillery's " Antique Collection" series. It is a high proof uncut and unfiltered bourbon, aged for approximately 15 years. Cynthia Mersten is a writer/editor for Whiskey Raiders and has worked in the Beverage Industry for eight years. She started her career in wine and spirits distribution and sold brands like Four Roses, High West and Compass Box to a variety of bars and restaurants in the city she calls home: Los Angeles.

George T. Stagg (2023) Review | Breaking Bourbon

It’s been a long road for George T. Stagg’s understudy. It originally launched to much fanfare and hopefulness of it being an easier-to-obtain version of the ever popular Buffalo Trace Antique Collection release. Instead, initial Stagg Jr. releases were a letdown as a result of their brashness. But over the years the brand matured, and eventually overtook George T. Stagg in quality from time to time, though it never truly became the readily available version everyone hoped for. Stagg Jr batches are released two times each year. Those bourbon releases will happen either in the Spring or Summer, as long as in the Fall or Winter. You will rarely see this highly sought after release sit on the shelves in your local liquor store for long. If you do, we want to know what liquor store you shop at. Moreover, if you do find one, it will most likely only be the most recent batch of Stagg. Not to be confused, that’s always welcome. Wild Turkey 8-Year 101 Proof has an orange peel throughline that lingers on the palate and gives away to a pleasant finish of turtle candies, oak, and nutmeg coupled with plenty of baking spice dusted throughout. 9. Frey Ranch Straight Rye Whiskey SPECIAL AWARD - Best of Category/Division/Show Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits CompetitionWest describes this year’s Thomas H. Handy as “one of the best THH releases [he’s] had in a good long while.” The best whiskey we tasted in October is what West describes as a “killer release” that earned a rare 9/10 rating. This is a great rye, but it’s our least favorite expression among this year’s Antique Collection due to its heavy dose of oak. Those 18 years of maturation have left this rye with a lot of tannin, and that’s accentuated by the rye’s relatively low proof of 90. In December 2015, the 2015 release of George T. Stagg was named "#3 of Top 65 Five-Star Spirits of 2015" and awarded "5 Stars - Highest Recommendation" by F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal. The 2015 release of Stagg also won a Gold Medal in the "Best Non-Age Statement Bourbon" category of the 2016 World Whiskies Awards, sponsored by Whisky Magazine.

Stagg Jr. Batches: Info on Every Release - KY Supply Co Stagg Jr. Batches: Info on Every Release - KY Supply Co

In America, Wild Turkey’s benchmark expression hosts no age statement. This 8-year expression can be found internationally — particularly in Japan — as an everyday drinker at an affordable price, yet is extremely hard to find in the U.S. Interested parties may have to hunt for this bourbon beauty, but it’s well worth it. SEE ALSO: Stagg Jr. Batch 15 Bourbon Release Proof, Price, & Review Stagg Jr. Bourbon Review & Whiskey AwardsThe folks at Maker’s Mark will be the first to tell you that age is just a construct, and they typically claim their whiskeys are perfect at around 6 to 8 years old. Maker’s Mark claims with its latest release, what matters is not the actual number but the aging process. Best of Division (Whiskey) / Gold Medal (97 points) – Los Angeles International Spirits Competition